Running the PostgreSQL
interactive terminal program, called psql, which allows you to interactively
enter, edit, and execute SQL commands.

Using an existing graphical frontend tool like
PgAccess or ApplixWare (via ODBC) to create and manipulate a
database. These possibilities are not covered in this
tutorial.

Writing a custom application, using one of the several
available language bindings. These possibilities are
discussed further in The PostgreSQL
Programmer's Guide.

You probably want to start up psql, to try out the examples in this
manual. It can be activated for the mydb database by typing the command:

% psql mydb

You will be greeted with the following message:

Welcome to psql, the PostgreSQL interactive terminal.
Type: \copyright for distribution terms
\h for help with SQL commands
\? for help on internal slash commands
\g or terminate with semicolon to execute query
\q to quit
mydb=>

This prompt indicates that psql is
listening to you and that you can type SQL queries into a work space maintained by
the terminal monitor. The psql
program itself responds to special commands that begin with the
backslash character, \. For example, you
can get help on the syntax of various PostgreSQLSQL commands by typing:

mydb=> \h

Once you have finished entering your queries into the work
space, you can pass the contents of the work space to the
PostgreSQL server by typing:

mydb=> \g

This tells the server to process the query. If you terminate
your query with a semicolon, the \g is
not necessary. psql will
automatically process semicolon terminated queries. To read
queries from a file, say myFile,
instead of entering them interactively, type:

mydb=> \i myFile

To get out of psql and return
to Unix, type

mydb=> \q

and psql will quit and return
you to your command shell. (For more escape codes, type \? at the psql prompt.)
White space (i.e., spaces, tabs and newlines) may be used freely
in SQL queries. Single-line
comments are denoted by --. Everything
after the dashes up to the end of the line is ignored.
Multiple-line comments, and comments within a line, are denoted
by /* ... */.